IWLCA President's Cup: Standouts, Part 2

The IWLCA President's Cup wrapped up at ESPN's Wide World of Sports on Sunday. The tournament featured 200 teams from all parts of the nation spanning the 2014-2016 recruiting classes. I focused mostly on 2015s on Saturday, and checked out the 2014/Open Division teams on Sunday. While there were a lot of players from the 2014 class in that division, there were also a bunch that had 2015 and 2016 players on their rosters.

Here are a few standouts from the day:

2014/Open Division

Olivia Mikkelsen, Midfield, St. Stephen's & St. Agnes (Va.), Capital Seniors (Notre Dame)
Mikkelsen's height was an advantage on draws, and she placed balls well to her teammates coming in off the circle. She was always moving on offense, setting picks off-ball and looking to feed when she had the ball in her stick.

The Capital Seniors team was strong all around with 15 players committed to college. Goalie Gussie Johns (SSSA, USC) is one of the most athletic goalies in recent memory, very active out of the cage and a great stopper. Ana Hagerup (Defense, Georgetown Visitation, Virginia) is a great defensive midfield presence and played on the offensive end of the ball when I saw them against Edge Elite U19 on Saturday.

Tara Chelios, Midfield, Cranbrook Kingswood (MI), Detroit Coyotes Black, 2014
Chelios is really tall with a long wingspan. She played strong defense in the midfield and has good footwork and was smart with the ball on offense, knowing when to go hard to goal and when to slow down and move the ball. She was an impact player on the ride as well.

Selena Lasota, Attack/Midfield, Carihi Secondary (British Columbia), Team BC Canada, 2014
Team BC Canada had bunch of good players and played a unique style of lacrosse that was heavy on a box influence. Lasota, who is committed to Northwestern, was one of the best players on the field. An extremely athletic player with speed who could also take draws, Lasota has a rocket shot, can bury the ball from long range and she had the ability to take over a game. When Team BC Canada went down 3-0 early against RC Elite Gold, she scored the next three goals, most on strong dodges to the cage, to knot the game and give her team momentum.

Nell Copeland, Attack/Midfield, St. Johns (Texas), Texas Rangers, 2015
As a team, the Texas Rangers were made up of athletic, strong players who could play all over the field. They moved their defense to attack and vice versa in the second half against the Tampa Tribe. Copeland has quick feet and played strong midfield defense. She also took draws and had an impact all over the field.

Hannah Gantt (Midfield, Lamar, 2015) played defense to start the second half before getting switched to the attacking end. She's a strong defender who plays a physical style.

2015 Division

Amanda Romano, Midfield, Montclair (N.J.), BBL Elite Black
Romano is an athletic player who played smart defense with good body positioning. She was also effective in the midfield, again standing out for her defensive presence — she read the play and had a great interception to start a fast break opportunity late in a game on Sunday.

Morgan Rodgers, Midfield, Kettle Run (Va.), Cardinal (Duke)
Rodgers was fierce all over the field. A two-way middie who has a good stick with both hands, she had great game instincts and was all over ground balls. Offensively, she had a great shot and went hard to goal.

Lindsey Ronbeck, Midfield, Manhasset (N.Y.), Liberty Lax (Florida)Ronbeck ran the attack for Liberty, directing traffic from GLE and feeding the middle. A versatile player, she can also catch and finish in tight spaces.

Teammate Danielle Nicosia (Midfield, Manhasset) was impressive on the defensive end. She has good footwork, was vocal with her teammates, plays big and went for smart checks.

Lucy Swindell, Midfield, Garrison Forest (Md.), Skywalkers
Swindell was strong on the draws and made an impression with her play between the restraining lines — she was aggressive and fast on the ride, sticking with the play. She also has a hard shot and contributed on the offensive end.